Posts

Enjoying your freedom at college? Hanging with friends, no parents in sight—it’s a pretty good gig. Despite all that autonomy, you are probably looking forward to Thanksgiving break at home.

Some college students have mixed feelings about going home for Thanksgiving. (Credit: Imgur)

But ask any college student with a couple of semesters under his/her belt and they will tell you that being home for the holidays isn’t always what you were expecting. You can learn how to survive, however, with some tips for college students who have been there before you. Read more →

It’s finally summer break and that means it’s time to start hitting the summer music festivals. So many to see and so little time! So what to bring? As any summer music festival veteran will tell you, it’s not packing light, but packing savvy that could make or break your experience.

Electrobeach Music Festival, 2013. (Credit: Ville de Barcarès)

So, before you get into your groove, follow these top tips for college students on what to bring and what to leave home to ensure a good time. Read more →

Want to save some laundry money and help out the environment? Stop washing your jeans, says Chip Bergh, the CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. It seems like strange advice, but there are other ways you can kill germs — and stop the smell — from rising off of your Levis.

According to the CEO of Levi jeans, it’s okay to not frequently wash your jeans. (Credit: memecrunch.com)

For this and other life hacks, check out these tips for college students on homemade stain remover, alternate uses for your freezer and salad spinner, and hemming jeans while keeping the original hemline. Read more →

The transition to college can be tough for anyone—living away from home for the first time, juggling the responsibility of class, being on your own. It is easy to feel overwhelmed. But what if you have ADHD?

College students with ADHD face many challenges, but they can be overcome. (Credit: DIYLOL.com)

That can make the changes and challenges that college bring even tougher. For prospective college students with ADHD or even a current student with ADHD, here are some tips for how you can survive and succeed as an undergrad. Read more →

Ah taxes … part of entering the world of adults is beginning that lifelong dance with filing taxes. If you had a job in high school, mom and dad may have taken care of your dealings with the IRS, but there is no time like the present to start to tackle filing taxes yourself. Taxes may not be fun, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Here are some things you may not know about how to file taxes, plus tips for college students on how to make the process just a little bit easier, especially if you’ve put them off until the last minute.

Not even taxes can bring down Jerry Maguire. (Source: Create a Meme)

Tax myths

First things first: you may be operating under the delusion that college students don’t have to file with the IRS. Au contraire! Read more →

A common issue for college students is maintaining a budget. (Credit: CommonSense&Nonsense)

Living on a budget is hard for anyone. But for college students, it may be the first time that you have been in full control (or almost full control) of your money. A few tips for how to handle your expenses, avoid debt and still have some fun along the way can be a big help. Whether you think you are doing just fine money-wise or if you have no idea where to begin, read on; while these are tips for college students, they’re suggestions that everyone can benefit from.

Parent-child relationships can be a tricky one during the college years.

Good ole mom and dad … you love them and they love you. If you wanted to follow that sentence with a “but,” you are not alone. College students know that their four years in school are a time for learning and that includes learning how to become an adult. Your parents know this, too, but how you all handle that transition can be challenging at times. It is natural for parent-child relationships to change as you start to become more independent. But that doesn’t mean that some tips for college students wouldn’t be helpful as you navigate the tricky waters between dependent to adult in the eyes of your parents.

Being distracted during class is a common occurrence among college students.

A little daydreaming now and then isn’t so bad, but if you are fading out during class or when it is time to study, you will surely wish you hadn’t when exam time rolls around. So how to pay attention in class when your mind starts to wander and your eyes are glazing over? Read on for some tips for college students on ways to keep focused and alert no matter how long your professor is droning on about the periodic table or some 18th century poem.

Tips to stay alert in class

No matter how interesting you find a class, there will come a day when you simply can’t seem to pay attention. And how about when it’s a class you couldn’t care less about? Fuggedaboutit! A February 4, 2014, post on hackcollege.com, “How to Trick Your Mind into Paying Attention in Class,” offers some tips for college students when boredom strikes in class: Read more →

It can be hard to get moving during Winter, but we believe you can do it!

Spring semester has started—you’re half way finished with the year! Congratulations! So why are you not excited? Maybe you’re even having trouble leaving that warm, cozy bed to brave the cold and make it to class on time. Wintertime can cause many of us to feel a little depressed. How to beat the winter blues, keep your grades up and make it to spring break and beyond? Here are some easy, breezy DIY tips for college students on making it through the cold, dark winter months.

Why you feel down

There are a multitude of reasons you may be feeling less than perky after the holidays. College can be challenging after all, and the initial excitement you felt in the fall may have worn off. In “How to handle the college winter blues,” posted on January 25, 2012, for U.S. News & World Report, Kelci Lynn Lucier offered tips for beating the blues. Read more →

Ah January—a time for resolutions, heading back to campus and … filing for FAFSA. Whether you are still applying for college or already on campus, college students soon learn that the beginning of the year is when they have to think about filling out financial aid forms to pay for next year’s classes. Read on for some tips for college students (and parents!) on how to navigate the world of financial aid and FAFSA.

Financial aid basics

First, know you are not alone. More people than you can count have managed to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, aka FAFSA, and lived to tell about the experience. But having a little bit of inside know-how won’t hurt you. Margene Walz wrote “January is FAFSA month for college students and their parents” on January 7, 2014, for the Orange County Breeze, which offered some expert advice on handling this all-too-intimidating task. Read more →